Ohio woman dies after walking into propeller at regional airport

(Reuters) – An office worker at an Ohio regional airport has died from head injuries she sustained after walking into a spinning airplane propeller, authorities said on Wednesday.

Sarah Rhoads, 24, who worked at Start Skydiving, died Tuesday from injuries she suffered on Sunday at Middletown Regional Airport, which is about 40 miles (64 km) north of Cincinnati, authorities said.

Rhoads was conscious with a severe injury to her skull when she was taken by helicopter to a Dayton hospital, a Middletown police report said.

“She was very nice, very sweet and we are going to miss her,” said Tim Epperhart, owner of Middletown Regional Flight Training Institute.

Rhoads had worked at the airport for three years.

“Moving propellers are loud but you don’t really see them,” said Epperhart, a flight trainer. “You can look at them and stare right through them.”

The Montgomery County coroner’s office said an autopsy was being performed Wednesday. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident.

(Reporting by Kim Palmer in Cleveland; Editing by David Bailey and Jim Loney)